This invention relates to keyboard musical instruments of the harpsichord type where the tone is produced by plucking a musical string. In particular it relates to such instruments where the strength of the pluck can be varied by the force exerted at the keyboard, that is, the so-called "piano-forte" effect. In a previous patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,261) I disclosed a pneumatic piston action for such an instrument which carried a single pick for plucking a single string for each key. Because of the design and the space requirements of that action, it was impossible to add extra picks or extra strings for each key to increase the loudness of the instrument. In the present disclosure I describe an action which overcomes these limitations and which enables the instrument to approach the loudness of the modern piano.